Fluid pressure control device



G. H. SAILERS FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug. 13, 1946 Aug. 28, 1951 05056.6 H .5A/LEE5 INVENTOR. m 5. MM

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ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL DEVICE George H. Sailers, Houston, Tex.

Application August 13, 1946, Serial No. 690,120

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a well device and more particularly to a device to be positioned within a well to control production thereof.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device to be positioned within a well and to act as a safety device therefor as a protection against careless handling at the surface controls, or any occurrence which accidentally releases tubing pressure.

A further object is to provide a device to prevent blowing out of the well and to keep the well under constant control.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device to maintain constant control over the Well without interrupting the normal flowing of the well in its high stages as the pressures are somewhat balanced, but plays a vital part in maintaining control on the well throughout the later days of the wells declining life during which the well is inclined to surge.

A still further object of the invention is to maintain bottom hole pressure against the oil bearing formation throughout the life of the well, to prevent the well from heading, and to keep uniform pressure within the well.

A further object is to provide a device to act as a safety factor in wells being swabbed in that the device does not permit the well fluids to fiow in from the formation too fast.

Another'object is to provide a combination well flowing control device and wash tool that allows washing of the well by pumping fluid down into the well through the device,

Another object of the device is to provide in combination a fiow control device and wash tool wherein the inlet screen for well fluid may be washed and cleaned by circulation of fluid down and out through the screen on the tool.

These and further objects will become apparent with a consideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a well device showing an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail of the disclosed embodiment.

In Fig. 1, the device is denoted generally at l and is shown as extending downwardly from the swedge nipple 2 connected to the lower end of a string of tubing 4. Extending downwardly from the swedge nipple 2 is a pipe section 5 which terminates in the coupling 6 which in turn serves as the housing for the valve mechanism denoted generally as l. A screen section 9 is threadedly connected to the lower end of the coupling and serves as inlet for the well fluid to the interior 2 of the device. The bottom portion of the device is shown as terminating in a collar 10 which in turn has a closure member I l therein that serves to segregate the interior 12 of the screen section 9 from the screen shoe I3 on the bottom of the device.

An elongated tubular member [5 has its lower end within the screen shoe l3 and passes upwardly through gland It in the closure member I I, the upper end of this member being threadedly connected to the tubular member I! proximate the valve assembly 1. A centering disc I8 fits slidably within screen 9 and is attached to tubular member [5 in any suitable manner, such as by welds 19.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the valve mechanism 1 is shown as comprising a valve body 25 threadedly secured to the inner periphery of the coupling 6. This valve body serves as a barrier between the upper and lower portion of the tool as will be more fully described. The tubular extension 11 at the upper end of the member I5 is secured to this barrier or valve body by means of the threads 32 whereby a continuous passage is formed from the lower end of the tubular member Hi to the control bore 20 in the valve body.

A tapered seat 26 in the lower portion of the body 25 has an annular channel 27 therein, the ports 28 within this channel communicating with the passages 29 thereby providing passageways between the channel 2! and the chamber 30 above the valve 1 and within the section 5.

The valve 33 is slidable upon the extension I! and a spring 34 is shown positioned in the recess 35 of valve 25 and the spring 34 normally retains the valve in spaced relation from the valve body.

A plurality of counterbored passages 38 in the valve 33 are provided with chokes 31, of suitable hardened material, threaded into the well side of valve 33 and such chokes and passages serve to pass the well fluid through the valve when it is in seating position upon the seat 26, as will be more particularly pointed out in the description of operation of the device.

A tubular extension 420 threadedly connected to the body 25 at M constitutes an upper extension of the composite member l5, thus providing a continuous passage from the shoe screen [3 upwardly through the central bore 20 in the valve body and into chamber 36 of pipe section 5. The upper end of the extension in chamber 30 is terminated by a downwardly opening spring loaded relief valve 50. Immediately therebeneath a collar 5| threaded on extension 40 of composite member l5 serves as a stop for the disc valve lar member 15. This screen pipe also serves as,v

inlet passengers for well fluid from the chamber to the tubing when it operates as a flow control.

device.

In operation the device is lowered into the well on the string of tubing 4 and is positioned proximate a productive formation.

If the well is flowing and it is desired that operation of the device serve primarily as a control for the flow of the, well, the device will operate;

as follows:

Fluid from the formation enters the chamber [2 below the barrier, or valve body 25 through the screen section 9. During normal flowing of the well, the well fluid will flow upwardly around valve 33 into ports 28 communicating with passages 29 and thence out openings 29 around disc valve 53 into the chamber 30]. The fluid then passes from chamber 30 through screen pipe 42 and into the tubing 4 beyond. It is to be noted that while the well is flowing under normal conditions, valve 33 is retained in spaced relation from the barrier, or valve body 25 by suitable means such as a spring 34. The flow of well fluid is thereby unrestricted through the barrier and into the tubing 4 beyond. If the rate of flow of the fluid becomes too great, then valve 33. will move upwardly and come in contact with seat 25 of body 25. The flow of well fluid will then be restricted by its passage through the chokes 3'1 of valve, 33 before passing through the barrier 25. It seems apparent that the pressure necessary to seat the valve 33 by sliding it upwardly on extension I? would be that pressure that exceeds the tension of spring 34% plus the force of gravity tending to retain the valve in its downward position. Whenv the pressure on both sides of barrier 25 becomes approximately equal, the valve 33 will then move downwardly from seating position on the valve body and the flow of fluid will then move unrestricted as described above.

If it is desired to clean the screen section 9 by washing fluid down through the tool, wash fluid is pumped through the screen pipe 52 from tubing 4 and thence passes downwardly around the disc valve 53 and into the passages 29, out and around the valve 33 and from chamber 52,

and out through the screen section a of the de-.

vice. It is to be noted that the flow of wash fluid to clean the screen section 9 by passing wash liquid outwardly therethrough is the reverse of the flow of well fluid into the device.

If it isdesired to operate the device to wash the well bore, wash fluid is pumped downwardly from the tubing 4 out screen pipe 42 and into the chamber 30 above the barrier. In such case pumping is carried out at such a rate that downward pressure of the pumped fluid upon the valve 53 causes the valve to move downwardly and compress the spring 44 therebeneath and thus seat upon the valve body 25. Such closure of the valve 53 prohibits the passing of wash fluid through the valve barrier 25 as above described.

The wash fluid then exerts sufiicient p essure to unseat ball check valve 50 downwardly whereby wash fluid passes downwardly through the central bore 20 of valve body 25 and thence through the tubular member I5 to be discharged through screen shoe l3 in the bottom of the device. In this manner the wash liquid may be circulated into the well bore.

Broadly the invention comprehends a novel combination well control device and wash tool adapted to be positionedwithin a well to control the flow of fluids therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. A control and washing device for wells comprising, a housing, a barrier dividing the housing into separate upper and lower portions therein, there being a passage through said barrier, a hollow wash pipe independent of said passage and extending through said barrier to allow downflow of wash fluids through said barrier, an upwardly closing check valve in said pipe, an upwardly closing valve below said barrier surrounding said wash pipe and movable to close said passage upon an inflow of well fluid from below the barrier which is in excess of a predetermined rate of flow, and a valve on the upper side of said barrier to prevent downward flow of washing fluid through the first mentioned passage at greater than a predetermined rate, whereby the flow of fluids in the well is controlled.

2. A control and washing device for Wells comprising, a housing, a barrier dividing the housing into separate upper and lower portions therein, there being a passage through said barrier, a hollow wash pipe independent of. said passage and extending through said barrier to allow downflow of wash fluids through said barrier, an upwardly closing check valve in said pipe, an upwardly closing valve below said barrier surrounding said wash pipe and movable to close said passage upon an inflow of well fluid from below the barrier which is in excess of a predetermined rate of flow, and a valve. on the upper side of said barrier to prevent downward flow of washing liquid through. the first mentioned passage at greater than. a predetermined rate whereby the flow of fluids in the well is controlled, said valve below the barrier having a leak passage therethrough whereby well fluid will be passed through said barrier to equalize the pressure in said housing above and below said barrier when said upwardly closing valve is closed, whereupon said upwardly closing valve will fall to open position to allow well fluids to pass unrestricted through said passage in said barrier and into said tubing.

than a predetermined rate, whereby the pumped.

fluids pass downwardly through and are exhausted from said wash pipe at its lower end.

4. A well control and washing device comprising, a housing, a barrier in said housing dividing the housing into upper and lower portions, there being a passage through said. barrier, said housing below the barrier comprising a, screen section for the admission of well fluids, a downwardly closing valve above said barrier movable to close said passage, a wash pipe extending through said barrier and downwardly to a point 5 6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,155,718 Layne et al Apr. 25, 1939 2,274,093 Ragland et a1 Feb. 24, 1942 2,282,987 Bennett May 12, 1942 2,297,044 Barker et a1 Sept. 29, 1942 2,374,922 Byrd May 1, 1945 2,397,472 Crowell Apr. 2, 1946 2,411,667 Mowrey Nov. 26. 1946 

